Extract Text

The Extract Text feature will cycle through all the flowchart symbols on the current and output the text contents to a worksheet location that you specify. This tool is useful for tabulating process metrics. The process steps can be diagrammed in a flowchart, then the extraction tool can output the steps, allowing you to create a table listing any relevant process metrics such as time, defects, ownership, etc.

Extract Text Dialog

Text listing: The text from the flowchart symbols, along with a Extract checkbox to omit an entry. The text can be edited in the listing, if needed.

Sort by: Sorting options includes columns then rows, rows then columns, or alphabetical. The rows can be reordered by drag and drop as well.

Output range: Select the range for output. It can be on the current worksheet or another worksheet. Acceptable Excel range formats are

cell - example: A1.

worksheet!cell - example; 'sheet1'!A1

'[workbook]worksheet'!cell - example: '[book1.xlsx]sheet1'!A1

Link shape content to cells: If checked, each shape's text will be linked to cell that it was extracted to. For example, if a shape's text is linked to cell A1, editing cell A1 will change the text in the shape. You can determine which cell a shape is linked to by clicking on a shape and looking at the address in the Excel formula bar.

Excluded Shapes

The Extract Text tool excludes the text found in the following shapes: